Magazine seal blank



July 29, 1969 E. J. LENNON 3,457,600

MAGAZ INE SEAL BLANK Filed Feb. 27, 1968 INVENTOR EDMUND J. LENNON ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,457,600 MAGAZINE SEAL BLANK Edmund J. Lennon, New Britain, Conn., assignor to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Feb. 27, 1968, Ser. No. 708,562 Int. Cl. B63d 63/06 US. CI. 24-23 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A magazine seal blank is provided with diagonally separated front and rear edge interlocks.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to deformable seals for connecting overlapping portions of strapping and the like. In particular it is directed to a new and improved open seal blank capable of being stacked in a nested and interlocked condition.

. Open seal blanks generally comprise a substantially flat back plate having a width equal to the width of the strap ping being joined and a pair of outwardly flaring flanges arranged so that an elongated stack of such seal blanks may be formed by nesting one blank within another. The blanks are usually separated from each other by endwardly sliding one blank outwardly from one end of the elongated stack. Usually the inner seal is slid from the stack into a joint forming mechanism of a strapping tool or machine. conventionally such tools possess seal blank storage magazines adapted to receive a stack of nested seal blanks and to permit the stripping of a single blank from the end of the stack for synchronized delivery thereof into the jaws of a crimping mechanism.

Heretofore open seal blanks used in magazine feed strapping tools and known as magazine seals have been stacked in predetermined lots and then fastened by inserting a loop of wire through aligned central holes punched in the back plate of the seals. A stack of seals would then be inserted into the magazine of the tool and the loop of retaining wire withdrawn so that the seal blanks could be removed from the magazine sequentially for facile feeding to the jaws of the sealing mechanism.

More recently, magazine seal blanks have been developed which eliminated the necessity for the use of a central retaining loop of wire. These generally are similar to earlier seals except that grooves have been formed on the outwardly facing flat surface of the side flanges and embossments have been provided on the inner fiat surfaces of the flanges, the grooves and embossments being offset so that an embossment on the inner face of an overlying seal blank will mate withthe groove on the outer face of a seal blank nested thereunder. Such grooveembossment interlocking configurations were generally provided on each of the outwardly flaring flanges at a central location thereon. However, such configurations frequently exhibit a greater degree of interference to the desired endwise separation of the seal blank than they do to separation of the blanks longitudinally of the nested stack. Additionally, when the grooveembossment interlock is located centrally on the side flanges, the seals exhibit a pivotal action causing them to wobble excessively and provide an uneven clearance between seals at the ends thereof. Further, the use of embossments restricts the degree of interference which can be provided between adjacent seal blanks, the restriction being based primarily upon the thickness of the stock material used to make the seal blank. Also, of significance is the fact that the groove-embossment interlock requires tooling of 3,457,600 Patented July 29, 1969 a precise and extremely small nature which is unable to withstand prolonged use without exhibiting substantial tool wear.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved seal blank of the type described which obviates the aforementioned disadvantages of the groove-embossment interlock and advantageously provides a simplified and improved interlock arrangement of not only greater interference to separation longitudinally of the stack but also ease of separation under end pressure and greater control over the freedom of separation which can be imparted to the seal blank.

A further object of the present invention is to provide magazine seal blanks with an improved interlock, the degree of which can be quickly and easily adjusted to obtain maximum resistance to stack separation and minimum resistance to individual blank delivery.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wireless magazine seal blank of the type described which maintains the seals within the stack in a substantially parallelized condition with equal clearance on both ends thereof without the necessity of an excessive number of interlocks between the seal blanks.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of an improved magazine seal interlock which, because of its design, can be easily and rapidly formed with tools of a more rugged and durable construction resulting in a more continuous and economical manufacturing operation.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wireless magazine seal of the type described which when stacked and loaded in the magazine will provide a greater degree of freedom for release of the end seal of the stack.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

In accordance with the present invention these and related objects are accomplished by providing an improved magazine seal blank structure which utilizes diagonally opposed and edge interlocks capable of providing full depth interference to separation longitudinally of the stack together with automatic release of one of the interlocks so that lateral end release of an individual seal blank is resisted by only the interlock diagonally opposed to the released interlock.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an open magazine seal blank incorporating one embodiment of the diagonally separated interlock of the present invention;

FIG. 2. is an enlarged, fragmented end view of the seal blanks illustrated in FIG. 1 showing the manner in which the seal blanks are nestably stacked in interlocking engagement;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the edge interlock provided on the seals of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating another embodiment of the interlock of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end view similar to FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrating still another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view similar to FIG. 3 further illustrating the embodiment of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several figures, a magazine seal blank 10 is shown in FIG. 1 incorporating one embodiment of the improved interlock of the present invention. The seal blank 10,

which is preferably formed as a single unit from sheet metal stock material, is comprised of a flat, rectilinear back plate portion 14 and a pair of generally rectangular depending side portions or flanges 16, 18 integrally connected to the back portion along its opposite parallel side edges 20. The substantially flat side flanges 16, 18 are formed in such a manner that they project or flare outwardly and downwardly from the back plate 14, terminating in free longitudinal edges 22 parallel to edges 20 and separated from each other by a distance greater than that separating the respective parallel edges 20 of the back plate. The flanges 16, 18 are typically of a width slightly less than one-half the width of the back plate 14, the latter being equal to or only slightly greater in width than the width of the strapping with which the seal blank is to be used. As will be readily appreciated and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the flaring flanges 16, 18 permit the seal blanks to be nestably assembled in longitudinally extending stacks for convenience in handling and shipping and for insertion into the storage magazine of a strapping tool.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the magazine seal blank 10 is open at both the front and rear ends thereof and in accordance with the present invention is provided with interlocks on diagonally opposite front and rear portions of the blank. In particular, the front edge 26 of side flange 16 and the rear edge 28 of the opposite side flange 18 are provided with the respective interlocks generally indicated by the numerals 30, 32. This diagonal configuration or arrangement of the interlocks provides a number of advantageous features, not the least of which is the provision for positive and reliable clearance between the back plates of all seal blanks at both ends thereof coupled with the limited articulation permitted by the side flanges.

As illustrated the interlocks 30, 32 disposed at diagonally opposite corners of the seal are substantially identical and the seal blank exhibits full diagonal symmetry. Therefore, for clarity of illustration and ease of understanding only interlock 30 will be described in detail. Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3 interlock 30, and therefore its diagonally disposed interlock 34, generally comprises a corner tab 34 defined by the longitudinally extending free edge 22 of flange 16 and a generally U-shaped end notch 40 disposed intermediate the edge 22 and the back plate 14 and extending rearwardly from the front edge 26. As best illustrated in FIG. 3, both the notch 40 and the tab 34 are of generally rectangular configuration, although other suitable configurations may be employed so long as appropriate interlocking surfaces are thereby provided.

In the embodiment illustrated the interlocking surfaces comprise the tabs top surface 44 facing the back plate 14 of the magazine seal blank and defining one side of the generally U-shaped notch 40 and the oppositely facing surface 46 defining the other side of the notch. Since the side flanges 16, 18 are substantially planar members it is necessary for at least one of the locking surfaces of each interlock to be offset from the plane of the side flanges in order to be properly positioned for effecting the desired interlocking condition. Thus, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the free top corner 48 of the tab 34 is offset inwardly of the plane of flange 16 and generally toward the opposite side flange 18. As shown, the corner 48 is offset by a distance approximately equal to one-half the width of the sheet metal material utilized for the magazine seal blank. The other locking surface 46 is offset in an opposite or outwardly projecting direction by substantially the same amount, so that as a pair of seals are nested the free top corner 48 of the overlying seal blank will snap over the projecting portion of the underlying side flange and the outwardly offset portion of the latters front edge 26 will readily align itself with the front edge 50 of the overlying tab 34. In this manner it is possible to provide interferences to separation of the seal blanks longitudinally of the elongated nested stack of seals through the cooperative interengagement between locking surface 46 of one seal blank and the opposed tab surface 44 of an overlying blank. As can be appreciated, it is an advantage of the present invention that the degree to which the locking surfaces 44, 46 interfere with separation of the blanks may be adjusted by varying the degree of offset to which the sides of the notch are subjected without requiring the use of heavier gauge material. Thus, interference by full width contact is possible in accordance with the present invention yet at the same time is adjustable to provide ease of lateral endwise release of the individual seal blanks and economy in the material utilized. Additionally, where the elongated stack is spring loaded or weighted down, the configuration of the present invention permits substantial release of the constraining pressure between the locking surfaces 44, 46 to permit a greater degree of freedom during endwise lateral movement of a seal blank relative to its immediately adjacent overlying or underlying blank.

These and other aspects of the present invention are further illustrated in the embodiments of the interlock shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. There the entire tabs 34 are offset inwardly from the plane of their respective side flanges 16 while the locking surfaces 46 are retained in their unaltered positions within the plane of the flange. Again, the degree to which the tab is offset may be varied so as to provide the desired amount of interference between the locking surface 44 of the tab facing the back plate 14 and the cooperative locking surface 46 located on an adjacent underlying blank. An easily visualized feature of these embodiments is the immediate release of one of the diagonally located interlocks upon lateral endwise movement of one of the seal blanks relative to the other. Accordingly, resistance to the preferred manner of separating a blank from a stack of blanks is substantially reduced since the interference of only a single interlock must be overcome. At the same time resistance to separation longitudinally of the stack is opposed by both interlocks through full width abutment between the tabs 34 and the locking surfaces 46. As is apparent from FIGS. 5 and 6 the advantageous features of the present invention are also obtained when the locking tabs 34 are located closer to the back plate 14 and spaced from the free edge 22 of the side flanges 16, 18.

Thus, it will be seen from the foregoing detailed description that the magazine seal blanks of the present invention provide interlocks which are diagonally positioned on the blank and tend to hold the seals in a substantially parallelized position, free from the pivoting or wobbling action heretofore experienced with seals having interlocks positioned in the central area of the side flanges. The diagonally symmetrical seals are held by the interlocking surfaces with a greater degre of interference to separation longitudinally of the stack than the previously employed groove-embossment interlock configuration, the latter being confined to an interference equivalent to approximately one half the thickness of the stack material used to form the seal blank. Further, where magazine seals are spring loaded or weighted the bottom seal will be substantially freer for release and in the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, the present invention provides for the immediate release of one of the two diagonally disposed interlocks regardless of the endwise direction of delivery of the blanks from the stack. Also worthy of consideration is the fact that in accordance with the present invention the degree of interference to separation can be controlled by the shape and degree of bend in the interlock while the configuration of the interlock permits the use of far more rugged tooling which is not adversely affected by reasonable tool wear.

I claim:

1. In an open seal blank suited for forming a connection between overlapping portions of strapping and the like and adapted to be nested and interlocked with other overlying and underlying seal blanks of similar configuraation in the form of a longitudinally extending stack, the seal blank having a back plate and a pair of outwardly flaring, angularly extending side flanges integrally joined to the back plate along the sides thereof, the side flanges being provided with locking means for cooperatively interlocking the seal blanks with corresponding locking means on both overlying and underlying seal blanks, the improvement wherein the locking means includes a pair of locking surfaces at least equal in thickness to the thickness of the blank, one of said locking surfaces facing generally toward the back plate and the other of said locking surfaces facing generally away from the back plate, at least one of said locking surfaces being oriented relative to the plane of the side flange so as to interferingly contact the other of said surfaces on a similarly configured blank nested therewith.

2. The seal blank of claim 1 wherein each side flange is provided with an end tab having a surface portion facing the back plate, said surface portion being offset from the plane of the side flange and forming a part of the interlock adapted to cooperatively engage a portion of the interlock on a seal blank nested within the side flanges.

3. The seal blank of claim 2 wherein the end tabs of the blank are located on diagonally separated corners of the blank.

4. The seal blank of claim 1 wherein said locking surfaces are offset in opposite directions from the plane of the side flange.

5. The seal blank of claim 1 wherein the front edge of one side flange and the rear edge of the opposite side flange are each provided with a tab and a generally U- shaped notch intermediate the tab and the back plate, the tab having an edge surface forming part of the locking means and defining one side of the notch, said edge surface facing the back plate and having at least its free end portion offset from the plane of the side flange inwardly of the seal blank, the opposite side of the notch from said one side forming a part of the locking means to cooperatively engage the edge surface of a tab on an overlying seal blank of similar construction.

6. A plurality of the seal blanks of claim 5 arranged in an elongated nested stack and interlocked in overlying and underlying relationship.

7. The seal blank of claim 1 wherein one of said diagonally separated interlocks immediately releases without interference upon lateral endwise separation of the seal blank from an adajacent nested blank.

8. The seal blank of claim 1 wherein the locking means on one side flange are diagonally separated from the locking means on the opposite side flange.

9. A plurality of the seal blanks of claim 8 arranged in an elongated nested stack and interlocked in overying and underlying relationship.

10. A plurality of the seal blanks of claim 1 arranged in an elongated nested stack and interlocked in overlying and underlying relationship.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,083,845 4/ 19 63 Kuster.

FOREIGN PATENTS 653,362 5/ 1951 Great Britain. 1,079,719 8/ 1967 Great Britain DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

